Rowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed four
| Men's coxed four at the Games of the VII Olympiad | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Coxed four race | ||||||||||
| Venue | Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal | |||||||||
| Dates | 28–29 August | |||||||||
| Competitors | 40 from 8 nations | |||||||||
| Winning time | 6:54.0 | |||||||||
| Medalists | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Rowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single sculls | men |
| Double sculls | men |
| Coxed pair | men |
| Coxed four | men |
| Eight | men |
The men's coxed four event was part of the rowing programme at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on 28 and 29 August 1920. It was the third appearance of the event, which had previously been held inaugural rowing competitions in 1900 as well as in 1912. Eight boats (40 competitors), each from a different nation, competed.[1] The medals all went to nations that had not won a medal in the men's coxed four previously: Switzerland and the United States took gold and silver, respectively, in their debuts in the event; Norway took bronze.
Background
[edit]This was the third appearance of the event. Rowing had been on the programme in 1896 but was cancelled due to bad weather. The coxed four was one of the four initial events introduced in 1900. It was not held in 1904 or 1908, but was held at every Games from 1912 to 1992 when it (along with the men's coxed pair) was replaced with the men's lightweight double sculls and men's lightweight coxless four.[2]
The top nations in the coxed four coming into the Games included Switzerland (1920 European champions), France (1919 Inter-Allied champions), and Canada. France did not compete in the event at the Olympics, however, and Canada's team boat did not make it to Antwerp.[2]
Brazil, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, and the United States each made their debut in the event. Belgium, Norway, and Sweden competed for the second time, matching the absent France and Germany for a five-way tie for most among nations to that point.
Competition format
[edit]The coxed four event featured five-person boats, with four rowers and a coxswain. It was a sweep rowing event, with the rowers each having one oar (and thus each rowing on one side). The competition used the 2000 metres distance that became standard at the 1912 Olympics and which has been used ever since except at the 1948 Games.[3]
The tournament featured two rounds of competition, with no repechages. The semifinals had three heats, with 2 or 3 boats in each heat. The winner of each semifinal advanced to the final, with all other boats eliminated. There was a single final, with three boats, to determine the medals.
Schedule
[edit]| Date | Time | Round |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 August 1920 | 14:00 | Semifinals |
| Sunday, 29 August 1920 | 14:30 | Final |
Results
[edit]Semifinals
[edit]Semifinal 1
[edit]The first heat featured the two top teams: Switzerland and Canada. The Canadian team had to use a borrowed boat when their own did not arrive in Antwerp. One of the riggers cracked immediately before the race started; the team managed to get into the lead anyway. However, the other shoulder of the rigger failed during the race and Canada had to row with only three oars for the remainder of the race.[2]
| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Staub |  Switzerland |
7:03.0 | Q | |
| 2 | Gösta Eriksson |  Sweden |
7:12.0 | ||
| 3 | Art Everett |  Canada |
7:18.0 |
Semifinal 2
[edit]| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thoralf Hagen |  Norway |
7:14.0 | Q | |
| 2 | Raphael de Ligne[4][5][6] |  Belgium |
7:40.0 |
Semifinal 3
[edit]| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sherm Clark |  United States |
7:17.4 | Q | |
| 2 | Ernesto Flores Filho |  Brazil |
7:25.4 | ||
| 3 | Jan Bauch |  Czechoslovakia |
Unknown |
Final
[edit]| Rank | Rowers | Coxswain | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Paul Staub | Switzerland |
6:54.0 | |
 |
Sherm Clark | United States |
6:58.0 | |
 |
Thoralf Hagen | Norway |
7:02.0 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Rowing at the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games: Men's Coxed Fours". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "Coxed Fours, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ^ "Why Do We Race 2000m? The History Behind the Distance". World Rowing. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ La VIIe Olympiade à Anvers, la quatorzième journée - Aviron, la deuxième journée - I. Course à quatre rameurs en pointe avec barreur, La Meuse, 31 August 1920
- ^ "Olympische organisaties". Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Lijst van Belgische Olympische roeiers". Retrieved 9 October 2021.
Sources
[edit]- Belgium Olympic Committee (1957). Olympic Games Antwerp 1920: Official Report (in French).
- Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Retrieved 25 April 2008.
